Oil-can



` (No Model.)

C. E. STRAFFIN & G. L. ROBERTSON..

OILGAN. No. 385,828. Patented June 26,V 1888.

CLXX

illumine STATES CHARLES I-I. STRAFFIN AND GEORGE L. ROBERTSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

OlLmCAN.

SPECIFCATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 385.328, dated June 26, 1888.

.Application filed March 9, 1888. Serial No. 266,754. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, t 77mg/ concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLns H. STRAFFIN and Geenen L. Ronnn'rsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the 5 county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in OilfCans; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same.

to Our improvement relatesto the class of oilcans commonly in household use for filling lamps with illuminatingoil; and it is the bject of our invention to provide a device of simple and inexpensive construction, which x shall operate as a stop and vent for such oileaus, whereby evaporation is prevented from the dischargespout when the can is notin use, and \vliereby,also,vent is provided `for the air within the can when the can is being replenished through the filling-aperture; and, further, to permit entrance of air to the oil-cau and consequent free discharge of oil through the dischargespout when the can is in use; and it is further our object to provide a de- 2 5 vice which shall accomplish these ends by a single movement ofthe manipulator.

To these ends ourinvention consists ofan oilcan having its dischargeespoutandilllingaperture toward opposite sides thereof, the discharge spout being closed leya suitable stop or valve and the lillingaperture being closed by a removable plug or stopper, and means whereby, when the said plug or stopper is removed from its normal closing position in the filling' aperture for purposes of filling or to permit entrance of atmospheric air,the Valve closing the discharge-spout is automatically lifted from its scat to permit free discharge of oil, and, vice versa, upon the replacement of the 4o plug or stopper in tliefilling-aperture the stop or valve closing the discharge-spout is automatically closed through its connection with the plug or stopper; and our invention consists, further, in the construction of our improved device and in certain details of the said construction and combinations of the parts therein, all as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a sec- 5o tional View of a broken portion of an oil-can of our preferred construction, showing in elen vation the mechanism of our improved stop and vent with the discharge-spout and lling aperture closed; Fio. 2, a similar view showing the stop and vent open to permit discharge of oil; Fig. 3, a perspective view of a detail, and Fig. fi a perspective View of another detail.

In our preferred construction, A is the cylindrical body of an oil-can, having wooden 6o heads formed upon it, one of which, B, is shown inthe drawings. A dischargespout, C, isprovided toward one side of the head B, secured upon and projecting slightly below the same to form an annular mouth, i, for the stop or valve hereinafter described, and toward the opposite side of the head B is a filling-aperture, D, having a slot, s, (shown in Fig. 3,) for a purpose hereinafter described.

A lever, E, is pivoted to the lower side of 7o the head B at a point, t, somewhat nearer the discharge-spout than the fillingtube, and is provided upon its short arm with a resilient washer, q, of leather or other suitable material, forming a stop or valve to close the dischargespout C when brought into contact with its projected annular mouth r, hereinbeforc mentioned. A spring, p, preferably spiral, is provided upon the opposite arm of the lever E, secured between it and the lower side of the se head B, and toward the extremity ot' this long arm of the lever E is secured a wire or chain,

o, connecting with a plug, F, formed preferably Of wood,and closing when normally in po sition entrance tothe can by way of the fillingtube B.

To understand the operation of our improved device, suppose the parts to be nor mally at rest, as shown in Fig. l, with the resilient washer q upon the short arm of the 9o lever E held firmly against the annular mouth i by the pressure of the spring p against the opposite arm of the lever E, thus firmly closing the discharge-spout C. In this position the illing-tubeB is closed by the plug F, also held firmly in position by its attachment o to the long arm ofthe lever E. If, now, it is de sired to open the can for purposes of filling or discharging oil, it is only necessary to raise the plug or stopper F, carrying with it the long rec arm of the lever E against the resistance ofthe spring p, thus lowering the short arm,and with it the resilient washer q, out of contact with the annular month r of I[he dischargespout C. The discharge-spout and filling-tube are now open, permitting free access of atmospheric air and ready How of oil th rough the dischargespout O when the can is inclined.

If it is desired to retain theparts in this po sition, it is only necessary to incline the plug F sufficiently to permit its attaching-wire oto fall into the slot s, (hereinbefore inentioned,) when the parts will assume the position shown in Fig. Y2.

In practice we commonly allow the device to assume the position last named when filling even a single lamp, because of its convenience in avoiding' the necessity of holding up the plug F.

It is obvious that there may be many modiiied forms of mechanism controllable by the motion of the plug or stopper in the fillingaperture applicable to perform the function of closing the discharge-spout and opening the filling-aperture (and vice versa) simultaneously; and therefore,

Having described our invention, we desire to cover, broadly- 1. Inan oil-can having a filling-aperture and a discharge-spout, a stopper to the filling-aperture and a valve to the discharge-spout, in combination with a pivoted lever connecting them, and a spring for normally maintaining the valve upon its seat to close the dischargespout, as and for the purposespecified.

2. In combination, in an oil-can, a fillingaperture, D, and a discharge-spout, C, a pivoted lever, E, a valve, q, carried upon one of its arms, a spring, p, for normally maintaining the valve upon its seat to close the discharge-spout, a stopper, F, to close the fillingaperture, and means for connecting it with the other arm of the lever, by which the said lever` may be operated, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an oil can, a filling-aperture, D, its wall provided with a notch, s, a dischargespout, C, a pivoted lever, E, a valve, g, carried upon one of its arms, a spring,p, for normally maintaining the valve upon its seat to close the discharge-spout, astopper, F, to close the filling-aperture, and a link, o, adapted to lie within the notch s in the wall ofthe filling` aperture, and thus to engage the stopper in a raised position, as described, when desired, whereby the lever E may be sustained in such position that the valveq is ofi' of its scat and the discharge! spout open, substantially as specified.

4. In an oil-can, a filling aperture, D, and a discharge-spout, O, in combination with a lever, E, and a stopper, F, and a valve, q, attached to opposite arms of said lever in such manner that the stopper may operate ihe said lever, and thereby the said valve,to remove it from its seat upon the discharge-spout, as and for the vpurpose specified.

CHARLES II. STRAFFIN. GEO. L. ROBERTSON. Vitnesses:

EDMUND S. Moss, GEORGE CHAMBERS. 

